04.003
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said.
kiṁ tvaṁ nakula kurvāṇas tatra tāta cariṣyasi। sukumāraś ca śūraś ca darśanīyaḥ sukhocitaḥ ॥04-3-1॥
Dear Nakula, what will you do there? You are tender, brave, and handsome, and accustomed to comfort. (04-3-1)
nakula uvāca॥
Nakul said.
aśvabandho bhaviṣyāmi virāṭanṛpater aham। granthiko nāma nāmnāhaṃ karmaitat supri yaṃ mama ॥04-3-2॥
I shall become the horse-keeper of King Virāṭa; my name will be Granthika — this duty is very dear to me. (04-3-2)
kuśalo'smy aśvaśikṣāyāṃ tathaivāśvacikitsite. priyāś ca satataṃ me'śvāḥ kururāja yathā tava ॥04-3-3॥
I am skilled in training horses and also in treating their ailments. Horses are always dear to me, O king of the Kurus, just as they are to you. (04-3-3)
ye mām āmantrayişyanti virāṭanagare janāḥ। tebhya evaṃ pravakṣyāmi vihariṣyāmyahaṃ yathā॥04-3-4॥
To those people who invite me in the city of Virāṭa, I will thus speak; I will live as I (intend). (04-3-4)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
sahadeva kathaṁ tasya samīpe vihariṣyasi। kiṁ vā tvaṁ tāta kurvāṇaḥ pracchanno vicariṣyasi ॥04-3-5॥
Sahadeva, how will you stay near him? Or, dear one, will you secretly act and wander about? (04-3-5)
sahadeva uvāca॥
Sahadeva said.
gosaṅkhyātā bhaviṣyāmi virāṭasya mahīpateḥ। pratiṣeddhā ca dogdhā ca saṅkhyāne kuśalo gavām ॥04-3-6॥
I will serve as the cow-counter for King Virāṭa; I will be the one to guard and milk the cows, skilled in their enumeration. (04-3-6)
tantipāla iti khyāto nāmnā viditam astu te। nipuṇaṃ ca cariṣyāmi vyetu te mānaso jvaraḥ॥04-3-7॥
Let it be known to you that I am renowned by the name Tantipāla. I will act skillfully, and may your mental distress be relieved. (04-3-7)
ahaṁ hi bhavatā goṣu satataṁ prakṛtaḥ purā। tatra me kauśalaṁ karma avabuddhaṁ viśāṁ pate ॥04-3-8॥
O lord of men, I was indeed always employed by you among the cows formerly. There, my skill at work was recognized. (04-3-8)
lakṣaṇaṁ caritaṁ cāpi gavāṁ yaccāpi maṅgalam। tatsarvaṁ me suviditam anyaccāpi mahīpate ॥04-3-9॥
O king, the characteristics, conduct, and auspicious signs of cows—all these, and other things besides, are well known to me. (04-3-9)
vṛṣabhān api jānāmi rājan pūjita-lakṣaṇān। yeṣāṃ mūtram upāghrāya api vandhyā prasūyate॥04-3-10॥
O king, I also know bulls with auspicious marks, whose urine, even when merely smelled, causes a barren woman to become fruitful. (04-3-10)
so’ham evaṃ cariṣyāmi prītir atra hi me sadā। na ca māṃ vetsyati paras tat te rocatu pārthiva ॥04-3-11॥
Thus shall I act. For I always find affection here; no one else will know me. Let this be to your satisfaction, O king. (04-3-11)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said;
iyaṁ tu naḥ priyā bhāryā prāṇebhyo'pi garīyasī. māteva paripālyā ca pūjyā jyeṣṭheva ca svasā ॥04-3-12॥
But this beloved wife of ours is more venerable even than life; she is to be protected like a mother, to be respected, and (to be regarded) like an elder sister and a sister. (04-3-12)
kena sma karmaṇā kṛṣṇā draupadī vikariṣyati। na hi kiñcid vijānāti karma kartuṃ yathā striyaḥ ॥04-3-13॥
By what kind of action will Kṛṣṇā Draupadī act? For women truly do not know how to perform any action. (04-3-13)
sukumārī ca bālā ca rājaputrī yaśasvinī। pativratā mahābhāgā kathaṁ nu vicariṣyati॥04-3-14॥
How will this delicate and young girl, a glorious princess, devoted to her husband and greatly fortunate, move about indeed? (04-3-14)
mālya-gandha-analaṅkārān vastrāṇi vividhāni ca। etāni eva abhijānāti yataḥ jātā hi bhāminī॥04-3-15॥
A woman indeed recognizes only these—garlands, fragrances, ornaments, and various garments—because she is born that way. (04-3-15)
draupady uvāca॥
Draupadī said.
sairaṃdhryo’rakṣitā loke bhujiṣyāḥ santi bhārata। naivamanyāḥ striyo yānti iti lokasya niścayaḥ ॥04-3-16॥
O Bhārata, in the world, only unprotected maids-in-waiting, like Sairandhri, become concubines; other women do not act so—this is the conviction of society. (04-3-16)
sāhaṃ bruvāṇā sairandhrī kuśalā keśakarmaṇi। ātmaguptā cariṣyāmi yan māṃ tvam anupṛcchasi॥04-3-17॥
As I speak, I am Sairandhri, skilled in hairdressing; concealing myself, I shall dwell (here) as you ask me. (04-3-17)
sudeṣṇāṁ pratyupasthāsye rājabhāryāṁ yaśasvinīm। sā rakṣiṣyati māṁ prāptāṁ mā te bhūdduḥkham īdṛśam ॥04-3-18॥
I shall approach Sudeshna, the renowned wife of the king. She will protect me when I arrive. Let there not be such sorrow for you. (04-3-18)
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said.
kalyāṇaṃ bhāṣase kṛṣṇe kule jātā yathā vadet। na pāpam abhijānāsi sādhu sādhvīvrate sthitā॥04-3-19॥
O Kṛṣṇe, you speak auspiciously, being born in a noble family, exactly as one should speak; you are unaware of sin, virtuous and steadfast in your vow of chastity. (04-3-19)
